I take clean eating and make it simple. No fancy ingredients you can only get in a health food store, nothing so complicated it takes all day...just a busy mom sharing how she simplified clean eating into something I can feel good about.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

I make home made macaroni and cheese quite often, either as a main dish or a side. Probably every other week. At least. To me, it's a very simple process that doesn't require a lot of pots or pans, dishes, or even work. I found this recipe and have adapted it to meet my needs. By meeting my needs, I mean changing it up based on which cheese(s) I have in the house at the moment.

I'm such a bad blogger that I rarely remember to take pictures when I cook. I'm such a bad blogger I rarely remember to blog. Or I take pictures then never blog about them. But I'm trying to do better. I promise.

So why is this recipe so easy? Doesn't mac n cheese require a cheese sauce, made separately then added once the pasta is cooked? NOT THIS ONE. The pasta cooks in milk, which turns into the sauce once you add a slurry and cheese. Can you get any easier??

The original poster has a beautiful picture on the recipe page, so I won't try to copy that. But I DID manage to snap a few while making it last week.

Here is the pasta and the broccoli (added a few minutes into cooking) boiling away in the milk.

Step 3: While step 2 is happening, grate cheese and make slurry. I use the mason jar the recipe author suggests, but a small bowl works too. Preheat oven.

Here is the slurry, before mixing and after.

Step 4: When pasta is cooked, stir in grated cheese, then slurry. Sprinkle with extra cheese, then pop in oven till brown and bubbly. My final picture does NOT do it justice.

I usually had a huge block of cheddar cheese in the house, but have been known to pretty much use ANY cheese I have in the house. I also vary the pepper added in Step 1, based again on what I am in the mood for. I have never owned the chipotle chili pepper called for in the recipe, so I will use a different red pepper. Make sure you know your pepper though, as you may not need the same amount, depending on the hotness of it. You can also vary the veggie added, again based on what you have in the house!

Love this simple recipe. And all I have to wash is the dutch oven, the cheese grater, and the jar from the slurry. Which usually goes in the dishwasher...